Sora: Weapon or Meister?
by gip-k
Summary: This story follows the journey of my original character, Sora, as he reluctantly enrolls in Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) and tries to find his place in the world.
1. Chapter 1

"That's it- I've had it with you!" a woman shouted. "This is absolutely the last straw! I'm going to give you a few minutes to pack your things, and then I want you gone!"

"You can't be serious," the receptor of the angry woman's exclamations replied in a sarcastic tone of voice. "You're always threatening to do this but you've never actually gone through with it. Are you sure you have the guts, Mom?"

The woman's eyes flashed fire.

"Oh-ho-ho," she said, in dangerous tones. "You have no clue just how much guts I have. I give you fifteen minutes. I will repeat- _fifteen minutes. _If I never see your face again, it'll be too soon."

With that she turned and walked out of the room, very slowly. Somehow her footsteps seemed menacing, even though she was retreating.

Sora sighed. He could feel it now- she really _was _serious.

_At least today she didn't tell me, _'_You're going to end up just like your old man!' _Which was normally what she came up with whenever she couldn't think of anything better to say. He really didn't know all that much about his old man, apart from the fact that his mother seemed to have regretted ever having laid eyes on the poor fellow. For all he knew, his father could be some great success by now- his mother hadn't spoken to him in years. He was guessing he whole thing between his parents had been some kind of one-night-stand shabang. Honestly he didn't have a clue, and honestly he really didn't care. His only question right now was- where could he go?

He and his mother lived in an apartment on the beat up side of Death City, if you could name it that, the Slums District. They always had to be careful of hoodlums.

"Who's going to be the man of the house when I'm gone, eh?" he shouted.

His mother yelled something unintelligible in reply and then repeated her warning.

"_Fifteen minutes!_"

"Who's going to buy you soup and pamper you when you're sick?"

"Thirteen minutes and counting!"

"Are you going to even give me a farewell gift?" he called back.

"Sora, I'm telling you that if you tell me one more thing...!"

"Okay, okay," he said, and headed in the direction of his bedroom so that he could pack. _At least it was worth a try. _

There wasn't that much for him to pack up. Hoodies, jeans, and baseball caps- the latter always worn sideways on his head- were all he ever wore, as well as a beat up pair of black sneakers with white stripes, which, he hadn't replaced in months. His mother was always spraying them with some type of odor-repellant because she claimed they "Stunk to the high heavens."

Sora didn't have any clean pairs of regular socks, so he took his dress socks. He was only supposed to wear those- and his brown dress shoes and snazzy blue suit and tie- on special occasions, but now was not the time to be picky. He didn't bother to pack the suit- he pretty much hated it, even though his mom kept it in impeccable condition.

Sora checked his watch when he was done. He had about three minutes to spare.

"i'm going now, Mom," Sora called out as he hefted his green gym bag over his shoulder. He hesitated a minute then added, "If I die, this will all be your fault!"

Sora heard a click and then a creak as his mother's bedroom door opened slowly. Her face was red. She held out an envelope to him. He raised an eyebrow as he reached for it. She held it back away from him in a hesitant gesture.

"There's fifty dollars in this envelope," she said sternly. "Promise me that you won't blow it all off on candybars."

"I promise," Sora said gruffly, reaching for the envelope again. She held it back once more.

"_Promise me._"

Sora gritted his teeth, then nodded.

"I _promise,_" he said more determinedly.

She held out the envelope again, and Sora took it from her hand. He knew that she would've given him more, but this was probably all that she could afford. She was a waitress at the local cafe and had to work odd hours. It wasn't easy for her to take care of the both of them, but she'd done a heck of a job.

And now, she was kicking him out.

"Thanks, Mom," he said with a little half grin.

She turned away and crossed her arms, but not quickly enough for him to miss the tears glistening in her eyes.

"All right, get out of here, you little punk."

"I love you."

He saw her flinch as though she was struck, but she didn't turn around.

"Love you too, Sora," she said gruffly. "Now get out. Your time is up."

And so it was.

Sora put on his favorite baseball cap- a green one featuring a hare being chased by a hound- and stepped towards the front door. He spared his mother one more glance before opening it. _Goodbye, Mom. _He thought to himself. _Until we meet again. _

Then he opened the door to the wide open world.


	2. Chapter 2

Sora walked the streets of the Death City slums, kicking an old tuna fish can in front of him as he went. He was pretty expert at it, if that could be said, considering his background in soccer. He loved the game, but he was never getting to play because of his inconsistent academic performance and poor attendance rates. In all honesty, he could've done a lot better, but he just couldn't be bothered with school when there was so much exciting stuff to get into.

Even though he was a favorite at school, he was also a bit of a loner. He didn't really run with a "crew". Most of his friends were good- no, _exemplary_- students that didn't like too much to get into trouble, which made him the odd one out. He kinda liked it that way, because it meant that he could raise some hell without anyone else vying for the same brand of attention.

He felt his stomach growl, and then he looked at his watch again. It was a little after five o'clock. He'd wished that he'd brought a snack, but he didn't really need snacks when he had the money to buy some himself, now did he?

He realized, that fortunately, he was just coming up to the local convenience store, one of the _EZ Mart _chains. He glanced to his left and right before entering. It wasn't dark yet, but you could never be too careful when you went out these days. Convenience stores were prime targets for burglars.

When he entered, the pretty, pink-haired girl at the counter greeted him amicably.

"Hello, sir," she said in cheerful tones. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thanks," Sora replied with a nod of his head. "And you don't have to call me, 'Sir', Amy. You know me pretty well."

"Yeah, I do, Sora, but I try to be professional," she said. Her expression suddenly turned self-satisfied, and she continued in a lower voice. "I know how much you love the _Double Double Mallow _candybars. We have 'em on sale, three for a dollar!"

Sora's eyes widened in delight.

"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "That sounds great- I'll take si-"

He suddenly felt a weird sensation creep over him, and then he whirled and looked behind him. A suspicious-looking man had just entered the shop. He wore a black beanie and trenchcoat, with dirty black boots, and reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke.

Amy's face paled, and she stuttered a bit when she spoke.

"G-good even-ning, s-s-sir," Amy's said, then finally managed to regain her composure enough to smile. "How may I help you today?"

"You can help me-" he said as he walked up to the counter. Suddenly he put his hand inside his trenchcoat, and pulled out a large pistol. He aimed it straight at Amy's head. "-by emptying the cash register, pronto."

_Oh no. _Sora thought, as a spike of fear gripped him. _What do I do? _

"And you, kid," the man said as he turned his eyes toward's Sora. He momentarily moved the gun in Sora's direction. "Don't think about going anywhere."

Sora suddenly- and unexpectedly- grinned.

"I wasn't planning on it."

The man's eyes widened, but he was too slow. Sora swung his arm up and smashed it against the thief's. The gun fired, not hitting anything as it was knocked soundly out of the criminal's hand. It went flying back behind the counter, where Amy ducked to avoid being hit by it.

"Sora!" she cried out.

"Why you little punk!" the man said through gritted teeth. He aimed a punch at Sora's head, but Sora easily dodged it. As he bent low, he shot out his foot and took the thief in the shins. But instead of the thief uttering out a cry of pain, he chuckled instead. Sora's kick had been repelled by something hard underneath the man's pants.

_He must be wearing metal shin guards! _Sora thought in disbelief. _What kind of burglarer wears metal shin guards to a heist?_

A smart one, apparently.

The thief continued to aim punches at Sora's head. One nearly caught him, but he raised his arms up as a guard in front of his face just in time. Unexpectedly, the thief lowered his hands and grabbed Sora by the waist, lifting him up off the ground. He tossed Sora with all his might to the left, where Sora crashed into the card stand display, knocking it over and landing in considerable pain.

The thief pulled another gun out from under his trenchcoat.

"Sayonarra, puppy," he said with a wicked grin as he pointed the barrel at Sora.

Sora grimaced. It was time.

"Weapon mode- Dark Shield!" he called out.

In a flash of light his body transformed into a shield. It wasn't a moment too soon, either. At just that moment, the thief pulled the gun's trigger, but the bullet ricocheted off Sora's new shield body.

"What the- you're a -?"

Sora transformed again, this time returning to his human form. He left part of his arm as the shield, however, and used it to ram into the thief's face. The nose broke, and blood went spraying everywhere. The criminal howled in misery, and he clasped his hands over his face, trying in vain to stop of the blood flow and assuage the pain.

"Screw you guys!" the thief said, and turned to flee.

Sora, however, had been expecting this. He stuck his foot out and the thief tripped, tumbling to the ground. Sora immediately leaped on his back, giving it a good stomping with his sneaker-clad feet. Then, in a flash, he pulled the string out of his hoodie and used it to tie the bandit up. The bandit struggled for a few minutes, then slumped over, half-unconcious.

Grinning, he turned to the counter where a terrified Amy was looking on in amazement.

"So...about those _Double Double Mallow bars_?"


	3. Chapter 3

Sora walked merrily down the street, carrying a bag that was filled to the brim with _Double Double Mallow _bars. Amy had let him have all of them, free of charge, for helping to foil the robbery. The police were called, but Sora had hurried off before they arrived.

"I don't want to give a statement," he had explained. "Too much of a waste of my time."

"Well, okay," Amy's had said, looking hesitant. "Well, at least take these _Double Double Mallow _bars. You can have as many as you want- free!"

So she had loaded him down with a bunch of bars and given him a promise that she'd tell of his heroic deeds to the manager.

"Oh, and maybe you should consider going to Death Weapon Meister Academy?" she had cheerfully suggested. "I'm sure they could use someone like you! I never knew you were a _Weapon..._"

He had heard of Death Weapon Meister Academy, also known as, "DWMA" before, but he hadn't been interested in enrolling. He knew he was a Weapon, and Weapons had to submit to Meisters. Sure, there were some renegade Weapons who didn't even have Meisters, but those were the exception rather than the rule.

Still, it piqued his curiosity. Maybe that was why he found himself walking out of the slums towards 'that' side of town. Most of his friends lived over here anyway. Maybe he could crash with one of them.

He noticed a payphone nearby and went towards it. He dialed the number of one of his close friends, Takahashi.

"Yeah, she kicked me out," he was saying once they had exchanged pleasantries. "I was thinking that since I didn't have a place to go...what? Oh, yeah. Hmm, well I get that. I hope your grandma gets better. Talk to you soon. Bye."

Next he called Hana. She was a crazy fierce tomboy who'd been so good at soccer that she'd actually qualified and made it on to the boys' team.

"Hmm, yep. I'm all out on my own. Oh, you're having a sleepover tonight? And...what? Okay, fine. I get that I'm not invited, but couldn't you at least give me a seperate room to stay in, Hana? I know your parents don't like me..."

All of the calls went that way, until finally he gave up. The sun was setting and the moon was soon going to rise. He always called that moon 'the Blood Moon' because it always appeared to be drooling blood.

Suddenly, it started to rain.

"What the hell?" Sora said, as he stepped out of the phone booth. "That makes zero sense. There practically isn't a cloud in the sky."

He shrugged, then went back inside the phone booth. He would just have to wait it out.

The rain didn't abate, and eventually an annoying business man came up and knocked on the glass and made the sign for 'telephone' with his right hand.

"Shouldn't someone like you have a cell phone or something?" Sora asked in irratation.

The man wordlessly held his up. It was dead.

Sora sighed and exited the phone booth. The drizzle had now turned into a downpour. Sora turned away and kept walking, no real destination in mind.

As he was walking, he noticed a group of two people walking together. One was a girl and one was a boy. The girl held a black umbrella over her and her companion's heads.

"I don't want to have sushi for dinner again today," she was saying. "You know how much I hate raw fish."

"Don't be such a party pooper, Maka," the young man walking next to her replied. "We almost always eat what you want."

"That's because I'm almost always the one who cooks!"

"Heh-heh. Well suit yourself. What do you want?"

"I don't know, but let's do take-out. Maybe _teriyaki_? Or pizza?"

The two stopped their conversation when they saw him.

"Good evening," the girl said politely.

"Heya," Sora replied.

"It's pretty rainy, huh?" she said with a smile. Her green eyes twinkled. They were pretty eyes. Sora was sure he hadn't seen any quite that hue before.

"Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious," the boy next to her said with a snicker. He grinned and it showed off his deadly sharp teeth.

"_Soul!_" the girl reprimanded her partner.

"What? It was just a joke."

The girl turned to Sora and smiled again.

"You'll have to excuse my partner here," she said. "He was probably dropped on his head when he was an infant."

"Partner?" Sora asked before he could stop himself.

"Oh- uh- yeah," she said quickly, raising up her hands defensively. "Not like that. We're from _DWMA._"

And so they were, but if they were partners, they couldn't have been more different than night and day. The boy, whom the girl had called "Soul" was dressed casually in a high-school style jacket that was maroon and yellow, and wore a matching headband with his name on it. His hair was as white as the moon, with spikes going in all sorts of directions. He walked with a kind of predatory slouch, and his red eyes gave an eerie glint in the moonlight.

Where the boy was menacing, the girl seemed inviting, almost harmless if Sora hadn't known better. She was tall and slender without any curves, and wore her dusty brown hair in two pigtails at the sides of her head. She was dressed in a typical school uniform type of outfit, complete with red plaid skirt, white dress shirt, yellow sweater vest and green tie with black stripes. The only thing that stood out was her coat, black and long with a lengthy slit at the front to allow her maximum mobility.

"You really should get an umbrella," the girl said, almost apologetically.

"I'll be okay," Sora replied, self-consciously adjusting the hat on his head. It was getting soaked with water.

An awkward silence followed.

"Well, I guess we should be going," she said, and started to walk off. "I'm Maka, by the way."

"My name's Sora."

"Ah- that means 'wind' right?" Maka said with a smile. "It's a prettty name."

Soul snickered a little, but Maka didn't reprimand him this time.

"Uh, thanks." He hadn't ever had his name called 'pretty' before and he wasn't sure that he wanted to start now. A compliment was a compliment, though.

"Well, I guess we'll see you later," Maka said with a polite little kod.

Sora nodded to both Soul and Maka.

"See ya."

With that they parted ways. Sora kept walking, tying up his bag of sweets to keep them from getting spoiled by the rainfall. He eventually found a place between two buildings that looked relatively clean, and where he was sheletered from the rain. He sat down and opened his bag of _Double Double Mallow _bars and took one out. He undid the rapper and took a bite.

_I hope you're okay, Mom. _He thought as he chewed the bar. He felt a stab of envy of those two DWMA students, who would be in a warm apartment eating either teriyaki or hot, cheesy pizza by now.

Sora wondered how such an unlikely pair had been formed. Their soul wavelengths had been completely different...

Then it occured to Sora. Since when had he been able to see soul wavelengths? Wasn't he a weapon?

And the girl...there had been something different about her. Something different and yet really familiar, as if he knew her.

"Maka," he said, testing her name on his tongue.

He took another bite of the candy bar.


	4. Chapter 4

Sora groaned. Someone was poking him in the side, and he was trying to sleep.

"He looks dead," a voice said.

"Er, I don't think he's dead. Didn't he just move?"

Sora blinked a few times, struggling to see against the glare. He must've fallen asleep in the alleyway.

When his eyes adjusted he was able to make out the grinning face of a boy with spikey, lightning-blue hair. He reminded Sora of a chimpanzee- a chimpanzee dressed like a ninja. He was also, apparently, poking Sora with a stick.

"Oh so you're _not_ dead," the boy said, throwing away the stick. "What's it like to awaken to the face of one so holy as I?"

_Who is this nutjob? _Sora thought irritably.

"Buzz off," he said, waving his hand as if to dispel the image of the boy before him.

"You'll have to forgive him," came a musical female voice from somewhere to the left. "He isn't always the most tactful person around."

Sora turned and had to blink twice. There stood one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. She was tall and curvy, with flowing raven-dark hair that was held back into a ponytail. She regarded him with an apologetic smile.

"Nonsense, Tsubaki!" the blue-haired youth replied with a laugh. "I'm the most tactful man around! It's just that not everyone is qualified to bask in the aura of my awesomeness!"

"It's fine," Sora found himself saying. "There are worst ways I could've woken up this morning." That actually sounded almost like an understatement.

"So what are you doing here, anyway?" the boy asked in his too-loud voice.

"I guess I fell asleep here."

"Oh!" the girl suddenly exclaimed. "You have _Double Double Mallow _bars. I just love those."

Sora was about to offer her the whole bag when he heard a loud bell going off.

"What's that noise?" Sora asked, covering his ears. It was still too early in the morning for that.

"It's the bell announcing that class is beginning," th beautiful girl explained. "You see, we're both students at DWMA. I'm Tsubaki, and this is my partner, Black Star." The girl smiled a bit shyly and held out her hand for Sora to shake.

"You cannot announce my name so casually!" the boy exclaimed. "I'm in a class all by myself!" He laughed as though he had said something funny.

"He really is," Tsubaki whispered in slight amusement as Sora shook her hand. It was a more calloused than he expected, but still soft and warm at the same time. He felt goosebumps rise all over him at the sensation.

"So, which one of you is the weapon?" Sora found himself asking.

"Me," Tsubaki said, smiling at her partner fondly.

"Wow, that's amazing," Sora said, unable to contain his surprise.

"Well, we're going to be late for classes so-" Tsubaki played with her fingers in a nervous kind of fashion. "-I guess we'd better be going. It was nice to meet you, er -?"

"Sora," he said quickly. "My name is Sora. And, here."

He lifted up the bag of _Double Double Mallow _bars and held it out to her.

"Oh no, I possibly couldn't take all of these," she said.

"It's my pleasure," Sora said, insisting. "I got them for free anyways."

"Er, thank you," she said, taking the sack.

"Ew!" Black Star exclaimed. "Those things are awful. Too much gooey marshmallow, not enough chocolate!"

"There's a reason why they're called _Double Double Mallow _bars," Sora said flatly. "If you don't like them, don't eat them."

"Hmph!" Black Star responded. "Come on Tsubaki, let's scram. The air around here has suddenly turned stale!"

Tsubaki laughed nervously and then nodded at Sora.

"Thanks for the candy bars! Hope I see you again later!"

_Me too. _Sora thought to himself. He definitely had to see her again. In fact...

"So..." the clerk in admissions said slowly. "Why is it that you want to attend this school?"

"I want to make the world a better place," Sora lied. "Ever since the Kishin was released, we've all been in tremendous danger. I want to make sure that ends, starting with me."

"Hmm," the clerk said, resting her chin in her hand. "You're quite the ambitious one. And what's your name?"

"Sora. Sora Fujioka."

The clerk scribbled something unto the sheet.

"Now I'll just have to have the phone number and address, notification from a parent that you'll be enrolling...?"

"I got kicked out," Sora blurted out. "I don't think my mom will care whether or not I'm going to this school or not."

"Hmm..." the clerk regarded him with a quizzical look. "Ah, then. I'll have you fill out this 'special circumstances' form then."

She handed him a piece of paper.

_That was easy. _He thought. He hadn't meant to blurt out that he'd been kicked out of his house- that would've raised a lot of questions. It didn't, though.

"Oh, and final question," the clerk said. "One of the most important. Will you be training as a weapon or a meister?"

Tsubaki's face flashed in Sora's mind for some reason. He imagined being the Meister of a weapon like her- that would be incredible. But on the other hand, wasn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Maybe if he chose to be a Weapon, he could impress her that way. But if he chose to be a Meister, she'd see him as more responsible. Maybe. It was all a big gamble, anyway. She already had a partner.

For now.

"I...I'll have to think about it."

The clerk smiled at him curiously, but didn't inquire as to what he meant. Wasn't it strange to have both abilities?

"Very well then," she scribbled something down on the paper then said. "Welcome to Death Weapon Meister Academy."

He smiled back.

"You can give me the form later, once you're done filling it out," the clerk said. "Right now, go off to orientation..."

So he went.


	5. Chapter 5

Sora went down to the Orientation Hall, and found himself totally overwhelmed. There were so many kids here, from so many different backgrounds and with so many different temperaments.

As he waded through the crowd, a group of girls who had been talking amongst themsleves suddenly turned in his direction.

"Oh, wow, look at him," one with dark skin and lilac hair announced boldly.

"Yeah, he's hot," another blond one cooed in admiration.

"I just love his red hair! And those eyes!" the third one, a short girl with a freckled face exclaimed.

"Yeah he's got interesting eyes," Lilac agreed.

Sora felt himself blushing, and all three girls laughed.

"Wait a minute-" the freckled one said, pointing at him. "Why don't you have a tag on you, like all the rest?"

"Well, er- I-"

"Yes, I wondered that myself," a male voice behind him said.

"Oh my, it's Lord Death's Death Scythe," a voice in the crowd exclaimed, sounding awed. "What's he doing in the Orientation Hall?"

Sora turned to the owner of the voice. He was an adult, late thirties perhaps, with chin-length red hair and slate blue eyes. He was dressed sharp in a black suit, complete with dress shirt with cross print and a black tie. He stood in a relaxed pose, with one of his hands in his pockets.

He must've been important, because everyone had stopped talking when he approached.

"So are you a student here, or what?" the man asked.

"Yes, I am," Sora said determinedly. "I just haven't been able to decide whether to be a Weapon or a Meister."

"Well, what's your ability?"

"I can transform into a shield."

Around him, some of the students snickered. Sora felt himself starting to blush again. For a first day student he seemed to be making a lot of blunders.

"A shield?" the man raised his eyebrow. "Hmm. That's something we've never seen before. But I'd say, that with your ability to transform, it still classifies you as a Weapon. Mind you, weapons _can _wield other weapons, but for maximum efficiency we normally aren't seen operating that way here. Why don't you head back to the front desk and get your 'Weapon' sticker now?"

"Well- er- I-" Sora stammered a little. "I'm not sure if I want to have to serve a Meister."

Contrary to what Sora would'e expected, the Death Scythe actually grinned.

"Ha, I can relate to you there," he replied. "I don't much mind being Lord's Death's Weapon, but I've had some pretty tough Meister's back in my day! Nontheless, they- or at least one of them- made me what I am today.

Unexpectedly the man's eyes misted over.

"God I miss her sometimes," he said.

There was an awkward silence. Finally, the man shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, then spoke again.

"Well, I suppose if Justin Law could become a Death Scythe all on his own, there's hope for you, too," Death Scythe said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But I think you'd find the Meister-Weapon relationship a rewarding one, if you'd be willing to give it a chance."

Sora looked around the room. Now everyone was looking at him. There were so many different partners that he could choose from.

"Ha, I can see you're having trouble deciding what to do," Death Scythe said, with a little sympathetic laugh. "Well no one says that you have to decide today. Just talk to a few people and see what you think. But I think you really should work as a Weapon."

With that, Death Scythe turned and left, and all the conversations returned to normal.

"Wow, I can't believe Lord Death's _actual_ Weapon was here today!" the freckle-face girl exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's got a pretty intense aura about him," Lilac replied.

The three girls turned their attention back to Sora.

"So, a shield, huh?" the blond girl said. She smiled and her strawberry-colored eyes twinkled. "I turn into a pike. It's too bad I wasn't a sword, because then you and I could team up together underneath the same Meister."

"Some people use two Weapons?" Sora asked.

"Yep," Blondy replied. "Well, Death the Kid does, and the Three-Star Meisters tend to switch between Wepaons rather fluidly."

"Who's Death the Kid?" Sora asked.

The three girls gasped in unison.

"Death the Kid is Lord Death's son," Lilac said in amazement. "I can't believe that you didn't know who he was."

Sora shrugged.

"I turn into a boomerang," the little freckle-faced girl exclaimed. "I don't think too many Meister's would be able to handle me since I'm pretty much an exclusive ranged weapon. A lot of the kids here want to fight melee."

Sora turned to the lilac-haired girl.

"Are you a weapon, too?" he asked her.

"Yep, a halberd," she said, with a grin. "That makes me the best of both worlds." '

"Ah, then we're all Weapons then," Sora said, feeling slightly disapointed. "It would've been nice to team up."

"Nothing's really stopping us," Lilac replied with a good-natured wink. "Death Scythe just said it's unconventional, not unallowed."

"Well..."

"Oh, we didn't even tell you our names," the blonde girl said. "My name is Mae." She gave Sora a friendly handshake.

"I'm Lilac, as you might of guessed," Lilac said, giving her curly hair a little shake.

"My name's Sherbert," the little freckle-faced one said. She laughed a bit in embarrassment at Sora' s raised eyebrow. "My mom just really likes frozen desserts. I'm just glad she didn't name me 'Froyo'!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"Oh no, everyone," Lilac said half in disgust. "We have trouble, six o'clock."

A girl was making her way through the crowd and headed in their direction. She was a girl, but she looked more like a china doll. Her hair flowed down in magnificent teal and sapphire waves, and her lovely lavender eyes beamed with self-confidence. She had beautiful porcelain skin and her cheeks had a natural blush to them.

She smiled, showing off perfect teeth, and waved her hands when she noticed them watching her approach.

"What's wrong with her?" Sora, asked, eyes transfixed on the girl.

"What _isn't _wrong with her?" Lilac demanded. "She's a know-it-all Meister who changes partners like you'd change dirty underwear. And she always has an excuse for why things didn't work out, and it's always a load of bull. She never takes any responsibility for it."

"I heard someone say that she said that she was doing it on purpose, that she just wanted to learn how to master every kind of Weapon before she finally settled on one to turn into a Death Scythe," Sherbert said.

"That's just a rumor," Mae said quickly. "But either way, be wary of her. She's very easy to match soul wavelengths with, so she can pretty much resonate with anyone. Her problem is that underneath that nice personality, she's a snob."

Sherbert and Mae pasted on fake smiles when the girl approached, but Lilac just let her scowl deepen.

"Hello, Lilac, Sherbert, Mae," the girl said with a little bow to each of them.

The three girls gave dischordant hello's in return, and only Mae decided to bow in return.

"I couldn't help but notice that you three seemed to be having all the fun," the girl said with another of her winning smiles. "I saw Death Scythe over here talking to you all and I had to come and find out what was going on."

"Nosy," Lilac muttered under her breath.

"Well, actually, Death Scythe was mostly talking to him," Sherbert said, gesturing towards Sora.

"Oh, really?" the girl turned to Sora with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What's your name?"

"It's Sora- nice to meet you," he said, and held out his hand for the girl to shake.

She didn't reach out for the hand. Instead, she smiled apolegetically and said,

"I'm sorry, I don't normally shake hands with someone that I haven't known for a while," she said. "It is nice to meet you though. My name is Pearl Jameson. You can call me P.J., though."

"Ha, okay," Sora said, thinking it funny for this china doll of a girl to be nicknamed P.J.

"So are you a Weapon or a Meister?" Pearl asked with slightly masked excitement.

"I guess I'm a Weapon right now," Sora replied.

"You wanted to be a Meister?" Pearl "P.J.", asked.

"Not particularly," Sora said. "it was more a feeling of just not wanting to have to defer to a Meister, to have someone over me like that."

"Oh, I understand _completely_," Pearl replied.

"As if," Lilac said bitterly.

"Did you say something, Lilac?"

Lilac put on a mocking smile.

"Nothing at all, Princess Pearl."

"Stop it- you know that I hate being called that," Pearl said. She looked like she was struggling to keep some emotion in check.

"It's a term of endearment," Mae lied with a litle smile.

"Not to me."

Sora could feel the air getting tense, and he didn't want to be in the middle of a fight between a bunch of girls.

"So, I haven't had anyone to show me around yet," he said, loudly in and pointedly. "Do you think you'd do the honors?" he gestured to P.J.

Her face lighted up.

"Me, really? I'd love to!"

Lilac gave him a sideways glare, then crossed her arms in front of her.

"We were going to show him around," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But of course, you'd be better at it, since apparently you're better at _everything_."

Pearl looked hurt for a split second, but then she recovered and gave a haughy retort.

"Well, I can't turn into a halberd, so apparently I'm not better at _everything _now am I?"

"Whatever," Lilac replied, then walked away. Sora was a little sorry to see her go and hoped he hadn't offended her. Even so he suspected that she'd get over it sooner or later.

"Well then," Mae said with a little smile. "You two have fun then."

"Yep!" Sherbert replied. "Not too much fun though?"

To Sora's surprise, Pearl blushed.

"Yeah, yeah," she gruimbled a little. Then she turned to Sora with that perfect smile. "Well come on then! There's so much to see!"

Sora followed her lead.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, that's everything," P.J. said, at the end of the tour. "Well, it's not _everything_ - we're not allowed to go everywhere as I already explained- but it's pretty much everywhere important."

Sora nodded. Right now they were outside, in front of the entrance of the school.

"I'm in Crescent Moon Class, but it's possible that you won't end up there," Pearl said. "I hope that you are in there, too, though. Right now Miss Marie is teaching it, but it used to be taught by Doctor. Franken Stein."

"Franken Stein?" Sora asked.

"Yeah- he's an _amazing _Meister, one of the best, if not _the _very best that there is," she said. "He was one of the Meisters that had Death Scythe as a Weapon in the past."

"Really?" Sora asked in amazement.

"Really."

"And who's the other guy, the blue...Zombie, is it?" Sora asked.

"Oh, that's Sid," Pearl said with a naughty smile. "There's a whole backstory about how he got that way, but I'll spare you the grim details. Apparently some kids from Crescent Moon Class had to go and fight with him as part of their remedial classes."

"Did you ever have to take any remedial classes?" Sora asked her.

"No way," Pearl said, and for a second who could swear there was an evil gleam in her pretty eyes. "Absolutely not. I think i'd die if I'd had to. Wouldn't you?'

"Well, since they're designed to actually help the students learn better and this is a school-"

"Nope- still not," Pearl interrupted. "I'm no special-ed student. Remedial classes can totally suck it!"

Sora looked at her in consternation, wondering if the sweet "P.J." were really not that sweet at all.

She alleviated his tension with a good-natured laugh. She even patted him on the back.

"Hey, it's you!" a voice suddenly exclaimed from behind them.

Sora turned and noticed Tsubaki and Black Star coming out of the school. Black Star had been the one who'd spoken. He was walking with his arms folded behind his head, looking like he was in a foul mood.

Sora felt instantly annoyed.

"So it is," Sora said.

"Oh wow, you're a student now?" Tsubaki asked pleasantly. "Or are you just visiting with Pearl?"

"I'm a student," he replied. _And it's mostly thanks to you_.

Black Star's face broke into a wide grin.

"Oh, so you're a student, are you?" he said, lowering his hands from beside his head. He gave Sora a thumbs up. "That's pretty awesome, but don't expect someone like me to go easy on you just because you're a newbie. We give proper welcomes around here, now don't we, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki smiled nervously.

"Be nice, Black Star," she admonished her partner cautiously.

"So what are you, anyway?" Black Star asked gruffly. "Weapon or Meister?"

"I'm a shield," Sora said blandly.

Black Star laughed openly.

"You're a _shield_?" he said. "That's frickin' hilarious. Nobody uses shields around here, so good luck finding a Meister!"

"I do," Pearl said, and stepped forward.

Black Star turned his gaze in her direction. His smile disappeared.

"Oh, is that _so_?" he asked, tone slightly mocking. "Well why don't you show me your best shot?"

"You're a waste of time," Pearl replied. Her face was completely devoid of friendliness now.

"Heh," Black Star smirked. "First you go around copying my hair color, then you decide to go to even more personal insults?"

"I never copied your hair!" Pearl retorted, growing angry.

"There's only room in this school for one person with blue hair- and that's me, the man who will transcend God!"

"My hair is _teal_ with blue _undertones_, dumbass."

"Same difference," Black Star said, and spat off the side. He scrubbed his lips clean with the back of a gauntleted hand. "So are you ready to do this thing? Have your stupid weapon friend here turn into a shield and see if you can take me on!"

"Black Star I don't think-" Tsubaki began.

"Go and get the proper witnesses, Tsubaki," Black Star told his partner. "We're about to duel."

"So you're actually going to have this be made official even though you're obviously going to lose?" Pearl retorted.

Sora was amazed by her. He didn't think this girl with the sweet heart would also possess an iron spine. She absolutely refused to be intimidated.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sora whispered to her. "I could easily take this buffoon on on my own, but you and I have never partnered before."

"Don't underestimate Black Star," Pearl whispered back. "He might have a big head biut he doesn't just blow hot air. This is going to be a very difficult duel, and I can understand if you don't want to be involved."

Sora felt his hackles rising.

"What, stand down against this dipshit?" he said. "You must be absolutely kidding me."

Pearl smiled at him.

"That's the spirit."

Tsubaki returned shortly with two teachers, Sid and Ms. Marie. Some students had also come along to watch, Maka and Soul among them.

"Hey, it's alley way kid!" Soul said with a grin. "How's it going?"

"Fine, thanks."

"You're a student now," Maka said with a friendly smile. "I'm so glad."

"Okay, turn into a shield now," Pearl commanded quietly.

Sora acquiesed. He turned into a circular silver shield that was ornamented with embossed circles and twisting ivy leaves. Instead of glinting light in the sunlight, it glinted a dark charcoal color.

Pearl picked up the shield, testing its weight.

"Am I too heavy for you?" Sora asked in concern.

"No, you're perfect!" she said. "Nice grip, too."

"Heh, not half bad, soldier," Black Star said as he took on a more aggressive stance.

Tsubaki stood to the side, looking on without participating.

"He means to take us on without a weapon?" Sora asked, almost relieved. He didn't want to have to fight with Tsubaki, and she didn't seem to want to fight them, either.

"Just watch," Pearl said, planting her feet in a defensive stance as she held the shield up in front of her.

Black Star charged towards them, full speed; Sora braced himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Black Star turned out to be an absolute beast in battle. He sent out attach after attack with barely a breath in between. P.J. was forced to be on the absolute defensive, constantly shifting, and ducking behind the large shield. Black Star's aggressive pace simply did not allow for an opening.

"How are you doing, Sora?" Pearl asked between pants.

"I'm okay!" Sora called out. "But you've got to try to find an opening!"

"I'm trying!" she called back. An unexpected kick to the feet from Black Star tripped her up, and she went crashing to the ground. Black Star aimed a punch for her face, but she rolled out of the way and scrambled to her feet. She took a few steps backwards, still breathing hard.

"This isn't the Princess Pearl that _I _know," Black Star said with a wicked grin. "Or are you being held back by that lousy weapon of yours?"

"He isn't lousy!" Pearl shouted. "I've just never used a shield before."

"But you've used nearly everything else!" Black Star said, and he laughed deviously. "You should've settled for the mace. I think that was your best choice."

"I can use...any...weapon...I...WANT!" Pearl said and suddenly she was charging towards Black Star, but she suddenly stopped in mid stride, and spinning, tossed the shield towards Black Star like it was a giant frisbee.

Black Star was caught momentarily by surprise, but he raised his arms in time to block the blow. But he hadn't anticipated the shield's weight or the force of the throw, which cut across his arms and sent him flying backwards.

As Black Star was recovering, Pearl, with surprising agility, raced behind him and kicked him in the back with her sandaled foot. She then brought an elbow down on the side of his neck. He fell to the ground, and before he could get up she snatched the shield from under him and resumed her defensive pose with it.

Black Star leapt to his feet, regarding Pearl and Sora with a grin. Then with a loud cry he charged forward again, reckless in his abandon. Blows seemed to come at Pearl from every angle, and it was all that she could do just to keep the shield from being knocked from her hand.

One blow, in particular, sent the shield flying up and backwards towards Pearl. It caught her in the chin with a glancing blow, and she fell straight backwards to the ground and landed with a _thump_.

Sora instantly switched out of shield form and knelt beside Pearl. He held her head up with his arm. She opened her eyes dazedly, trying to move her jaw to speak but apparently too injured to do so.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked, as he held up two.

"Three," she mumbled.

"So...do you surrender now?" Black Star asked. His face was all serious now.

Sora glared daggers at Black Star.

"I can't believe you could do this to a girl," he said in ominous tones. "You've got no honor."

"I believe in equality, so I treat everyone the same regardless of what's between their legs," Black Star said, looking annoyed.

Sora cursed under his breath.

"This...isn't...over," Pearl said as she tried to sit up. A large lump was forming on her chin where she'd been hit.

"No, I think it is," said the honey-haired Ms. Marie. "What do you think, Sid?"

"It's a victory for Black Star," Sid replied.

Black Star somehow didn't look that jubilant.

"So who's wasted whose time now?" he said. "You hardly lasted five minutes."

Ms. Marie walked over to Pearl and knelt beside her.

"That looks nasty," she said. "We'll have to take you to the infirmary."

"I don't want to go," said the Pearl who had just now managed to sit up. "I'm sure that it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it looks."

Marie smiled, then turned to Sora.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," she said softly. "And don't berate yourself too much. You're new to this school and Black Star is more of a veteran."

Tsubaki walked over to the group now, and smiled a little nervously.

"I'm really sorry about that, Pearl," she said. "You know how Black Star can be. I'm sure you did your very best."

"You shouldn't have to apologize for him," Sora told her darkly. "He can speak up for himself."

"Well- uh- I-"

"So how does it feel beating up a newbie and a little girl?" Soul asked Black Star in a half-mocking voice.

"Same as it always does. Tsubaki?"

"Sorry, I've got to go," Tsubaki said. "Keep doing your best," she told Sora. To Pearl, she said, "I hope you find a good partner for you soon, P.J. It's normal to feel like changing partners sometimes, but you just have to work through it. Bye!"

With that she hurried off to join Black Star and the others, who were leaving. Maka lingered back to wave at Pearl and Sora.

"Hope to see you two in class tomorrow. Bye!"

That just left Pearl, Sora, and the two teachers. Sid came over and lifted Pearl up. She looked even more like a doll in his arms than she usually did.

"By the way, Sora- my name is Marie," Marie said quietly. "I teach the Crescent Moon Class. Will you be staying on campus?"

"Yeah."

_I don't know how I'll pay for it but I'll come up with something, _he thought.

"Well then, let's help get you settled," she said with a little smile. "Sid will go ahead and take Pearl to the infirmary and you can come with me."

Sora nodded. Marie was just as Pearl had described her. Graceful, beautiful, and considerate. Somehow all that should have made her intimidating, but she had a very inviting aura to her, kind of the way that Maka did, but different. You felt more at ease when you were around her. Sora wondered how she'd lost her left eye, but he didn't dare ask.

"So, what brings you to the Academy?" she asked as they walked down the corridors.

Sora thought about telling his whole lie about wanting to defeat the Kishin, but around Marie that felt impossible.

"I didn't really have another place to go," he said. "I'd been attending regular school before now, but it just didn't really appeal to me that much."

Marie laughed. It was a beautiful sound, like the tinkling of windchimes.

"That makes sense," she said. "You're a Weapon, after all, and a lot of times Weapons or Meisters just don't feel like they fit in to regular school."

"Well, I never really used my Weapon abilities that much," Sora said. "Most people don't even know I can do the transformation."

"Ah," Marie said in understanding.

"So why'd you become a teacher here?" Sora asked as they continued walking through the corridors.

"Well, after the Kishin was revived Lord Death wanted to gather all of the Death Scythes together and give them new assignments," she looked a little chagrined at that. "I had the most amazing post ever, at Oceania. It was relaxing, easy- I almost felt like I was actually really retired there."

"i'm sorry," Sora said sympathetically.

"Oh, no, don't be sorry!" Marie said with a smile. "This teaching job is incredible. There are so many bright, promising students, and I actually feel like I'm making a difference in their lives somehow."

Sora nodded.

"Well, here we are,"she said finally, as she stopped in front of a maroon-painted door with the number 333 on it in black lettering. She handed him the key."This is all yours."

Sora took the key gratefully, unlocked the door and peered inside. It was a bit utilitarian, but it did have a splash of life here and there in the form of the wall paintings, brightly colored rugs and stylish lamps. There was even a mini-fridge and a small range for cooking.

"This is great," Sora said honestly.

"Glad you like it!" Marie responded with a smile. "Well, just make yourself at home. Oh, and by the way, this is free of charge. You also get an allowance for as long as you stay here- two hundred dollars a week. Don't spend it all on video games!""

With that, Marie left, and Sora carried in his green duffel bag and settled down unto the bed, testing it. It was the perfect balance- not too soft, not to firm.

He had finally made it to his new home.


	8. Chapter 8

Sora awoke to the sound of his alarm ringing at 6 AM. He smashed his hand down on the snooze button. He hadn't set that alarm- it must've been the apartment's previous owner.

Even so, he couldn't go back to sleep. He climbed out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. He opened up a cabinet, retrieved a glass, and filled it up with water from the tap. He downed half of it and sighed, as his mind went back to the battle with Black Star.

_So relentless, _Sora thought, almost in awe. _But still a jerk. Definitely still a jerk. _

He clenched his hands into fists, then reluctantly unclenched them. Black Star wasn't 'the' enemy, but he still left Sora with a bad taste in his mouth. In Sora's mind, it was unfortunately that he was partnered with someone pure and radiant like Tsubaki. She chose to take the background and let him get all the glory, it seemed, but her glow was unmistakable. It couldn't be hid by Black Star's obnoxious obstinance.

She had to know that, didn't she?

Sora opened his refrigerator, and then sighed again. It was empty, of course. He had just arrived and hadn't exactly had the chance to do any shopping. He'd also given all of his _Double Double Mallow _bars to Tsubaki. That, he couldn't regret. Maybe they served breakfast at the cafeteria?

He went to the bathroom and took a shower, then went into his room and tried to decide what to wear. He thought he'd go with the black _shinigami _hoodie he had- the one with Lord Death's likeness stenciled unto it- and his yellow cap with the rollerblades on the side of it. He loved to rollerblade, but he'd broken his last pair of blades and hadn't had the money at that time to buy anymore.

He affixed the cap on sideways, as usual. That was almost his trademark. He examined his form in the mirror. He looked tired as hell, but underneath that, resolute, even though the clothes made him look like a bit of a slacker.

"That can't be helped," he said with a half-grin.

He put on his signature sneakers and then walked towards the front door. He opened it up and took a peek outside. The hallway was empty. He stepped out, remembering to close the door behind him and lock it. It wasn't like he had much worth stealing, but one couldn't be too careful.

The sound of footsteps from atop the staircase ahead of him made him pause. He looked towards the landing and noticed the girl that he'd met in the rain the day before.

"Maka," he said faintly, in surprise.

"Oh, good morning, Sora," she said with a smile. She jumped off the landing and landing agilely in front of him. "You're an early riser, too?"

"Not exactly," Sora said abashedly. "The idiot that used to live in the apartment before I did had the alarm set for six am."

Just then, his stomach gave off a traitorous growl.

"You must be really hungry!"

"Er, yeah," Sora replied in embarrassment. "Do they serve breakfast in the cafeteria?

Maka shook her head.

"Nope," she said.

"That sucks," Sora said. "I haven't had the chance to go buy any food yet, and none of the stores are open yet." _Except maybe the convenience store, _he thought. _And that's quite a ways from here. _

"That's okay, you can have breakfast with Soul and me!" Maka suggested.

"Are you sure about that?" Sora asked. "I wouldn't want to impose..."

His stomach growled again, and Maka laughed.

"Sure, come on!" she said, gesturing to him. "I normally just take a short walk in the halls around here to clear my head, and then I cook breakfast. You can help me- it'll be fun."

So Sora followed Maka to her apartment on the fifth floor.

"Soul's still sleeping," Maka explained as she opened the door. "He likes to sleep almost as much as he likes to eat!"

"And what does he like to eat?"

"Besides kishin souls?" Maka asked. "Sushi. He really likes sushi. And lots of other things, I suppose. Are you good with frying the eggs?"

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem," Sora replied.

At that moment a little charcoal cat with golden eyes, a pink nose and a funny-looking pointed black hat slinked up to them, rubbing it's eye with it's paw.

"It's too early for this, Maka," the cat said, yawning. "And who is he?"

Sora twitched and gaped in amazement.

"i-it-spoke!"

"Course I did, silly," the cat replied.

All of a sudden there was a puff of smoke and the cat was replaced with a curvacious lady with purple hair and a seductive black dress. She leaned close to Sora's face and sniffed.

"He smells great!" she said with a smile. "And he's cute! Where did you find him, Maka?'

"Err," Maka sounded chagrined, then she turned to Sora. "Sora, this is Blair. Blair, this is Sora."

"It's nice to meet you!" Blair announced with a little giggle. Then she leaned even closer to Sora. "Wanna play a game?"

"Err, I don't think we have time for that," Maka said, taking ahold of Sora's wrist. "Sora, this way." She led him towards the kitchen.

"W-who or wh-what is _she_?" Sora said, unable to take his eyes off of Blair.

"She's a cat with highly developed magical powers," Maka replied as she opened the refridgerator. "Well, let's get started!"

Together they made a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and waffles.

At that point Soul came out of his room, yawning and stretching.

"What're you doing here?" Soul asked as he squinted his eyes in the glare.

"He' s helping me with breakfast," Maka said cheerfully.

"Well, then I hope you guys made enough for three people..."

"Or do you mean, two _people _and one _whale_?" Maka asked with a quizzical raise of the eyebrow. Sora laughed, but Soul didn't.

"Not funny, Maka," he said. "Well I'm going to shower- save me some toast, at least."

"Don't worry, there's plenty of breakfast," Maka replied.

"If you say so," Soul said and then turned in the direction of the restroom.

"He's really not a morning person," Maka whispered, amused.

"I'd noticed."

"So, shall we eat?"

"We aren't waiting for him?" Sora asked.

"Oh, he'll be fine," she said, sliding into a seat at the table. "He's also really fast at getting ready. He'll be joining us in no time."

Sora slid into the chair adjacent to hers.

"Eggs, toast, and waffles. Why didn't you cook any meat?" Blair purred as she walked into the kitchen. She was back in cat form, now.

"Sorry, Blair- we forgot," Maka said. "There's half a dozen cans of tuna in the cabinet, though. Help yourself."

"Hmph!" was Blair's reply. On her way to the cabinets she rubbed against Sora's leg a bit intimately, and he felt the blood rush to his face. _She's not a human, she's a cat. _He told himself sternly. _She's a _cat.

"Something wrong?" Maka asked between mouthfuls of waffle and egg.

"N-nothing," he said and hastily picked up his fork to start eating.

"So, do you know what class you'll be in, today?"

Sora shook his head.

"Well hopefully it's Crescent Moon," Maka said. "It'd be great to go to class together, and Marie is an awesome teacher."

"You sure he can handle being in that class though?" Soul asked. He was drying his hair with a towel as he came out of the bathroom. "He took a bit of a beating from Black Star yesterday."

"Black Star beats lots of people up, and it was Sora's first day," Maka told her partner sternly. Then she turned to Sora and said, reassuringly, "You'll do fine. I didn't think Ox and Killik would be able to do well in the class, but they were awesome during our mission to obtain the Brew."

"You'd better hurry up and choose a Meister," Soul said as he joined the two of them at the table. "Justin Law might've done it, but the whole solo act isn't the best way to go, in my opinion."

Sora didn't respond to that. He would make his own choices. This was the second time he'd heard about Justin Law, though, so he decieded to ask questions.

"Who exactly is this Justin Law guy, anyway?"

"He's some guillotine-type weapon, barely older than we are but already a Death Scythe," Soul replied.

"And he did it all on his own," Maka added.

"He's a _guillotine_?" somehow Sora couldn't picture that in his mind.

"Yeah, it sounds kind of impractical, but it isn't really," Soul replied as he took a bite of his waffle. "You'd have to see him to get it, really."

Sora nodded in understanding.

Maka took a look at the wall clock in the kitchen.

"It's almost time for class," she announced. Blair hummed in the background as she prepared tuna patties for herself at the stove. They actually didn't smell too badly.

"Yep," Soul said, standing up. "Let's go."

"Blair, do you mind helping us with the dishes?" Maka asked as she stood up as well.

"Anything for a friend!" Blair replied cheerfully. "Do your best!"

Outside the apartment, the three parted ways. Soul and Maka headed towards the Crescent Moon Class, and Sora went off to find the administrator so that he could be told what class he was in.

"Crescent Moon Class," the man said as he handed Sora a stack of textbooks. "You'll have to pay me for these later, after you get your allowance."

"Okay," Sora replied. "Thanks."

Now, he just had to hurry off to class before he was late...

The class was held in an enormous circular room with curved desks rising towards to the ceiling. Almost all of the seats were filled.

Suddenly, Sora spotted Maka- who was seated next to Soul- waving to him and smiling. Right about the same time he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Good morning, Sora!"

He turned and saw Pearl looking at him, her amethyst eyes shining with mirth.

"Do you wanna sit together?" she asked.

"Sure," Sora said, though he spared a glance over at Maka before answering. "Where do you normally sit?"

"Anywhere, really," Pearl said. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Why don't we sit with Maka and Soul?"

Sora thought he saw an expression of discomfort flash across P.J.'s face.

"Well- er, if you really want to," she said hesitantly.

Sora felt a bit confused, but waved to Maka and gestured that he was coming up. Maka was about three or four rows up, so it was a bit of a climb.

As Sora approached with Pearl, the smile vanished from Maka's face.

"I'm sorry," she said, her tone changing. "I'm afraid that if you're going to be sitting with her, you can't sit with me."

Sora froze. He was thrown totally off-guard.

What had he gotten himself into, now?


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm afraid that if you're going to be sitting with her, you can't sit with me." The look on Maka's face was pure determination.

"Come on, Maka, there's no need to be like this," Soul said in a half-placating, half-chiding tone.

"You of all people should understand my feelings!" Maka snapped at Soul over her shoulder.

"What happened?" Sora asked, feeling almost dumb.

"Oh, nothing _important_," Maka said with an upturn of her nose. "All she ever did was try to _steal _Soul from me."

"She couldn't have stolen me," Soul said. "I have free will, you know."

Sora turned to Pearl in askance.

"I never tried to 'steal' him," Pearl replied flatly. "You're twisting things, like you always do. Twisting things and overreacting- it's your speciality, Maka."

"You're one to talk," Maka replied. "Witch."

Sora felt a chill go through him. 'Witch' was a harsh accusation.

"Now, don't you think that's a little -?" Sora began.

"No," Pearl interrupted. She put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "You don't have to defend me."

"Yeah, you don't have to defend her, Sora," Maka said contemptuously. "All you have to do is watch your back, to make sure that she doesn't stab you in it."

With that, Maka crossed her arms and turned away, reminding Sora for all the world of his mother on the day she kicked him out.

"Women," Sora thought he heard Soul mutter bitterly. Sora couldn't have summarized things any better himself. It didn't seem like Pearl was very popular with any of the other girls.

Pearl turned to walk away, without looking back, and Sora was left wondering who he should sit with now. He figured both girls needed space, so he picked a seat a row down next to a pink-haired girl, who glanced at him but didn't say anything when he sat down.

"Don't get caught up in all of that," a balding boy with lightning shaped hair sticking out from the sides of his head admonished him. "You'll regret it."

Sora nodded without saying anything in response.

Ms. Marie came into the classroom right about that moment. She smiled up at them, her gaze lingering a minute on Sora.

"I'm sorry that I'm late everybody," she said pleasantly. "I think most of you already know, but we have a new student in class today, Sora Fujioka, so be sure to be really nice to him."

Gazes turned his direction and Sora shrank himself a little at all the atttention.

"Well, if you'll please get out your textbooks, we'll be having a review lesson on 'soul resonance' techniques and how to match wavelengths with your weapons," Marie continued. "Most of you in this class are quite rehearshed in this already but I thought I'd be nice and help prepare you for next week's quiz, anyway. So turn to page forty-three, if you will, and we'll get started..."

Marie's class had been intriguing and challenging. So much of the rhetoric was new to Sora, even though he understood a little. You pretty much couldn't be in Death City and not understand at least a little bit.

In the cafeteria, Sora loaded a bunch of California rolls on his plate and was reaching for the packets of soy sauce when he heard a voice behind him.

"Sora!"

Sora turned around and noticed that Sherbert and Mae were standing behind him. It was Sherbert that had spoken. She was holding a box filled with what appeared to be a bunch of different-colored wrist bands.

"Do you want to buy a pair of friendship bracelets?" Sherbert asked eagerly. "Mae and I made them all ourselves. I assemble them and then she does the decorations and the stenciling. It doesn't take us too long."

"Well, uh..."

"We totally get that friendship bracelets are normally for girls but we have some cool ones for guys in here too," Mae said cheerfully. "We want to someday have them organized on little racks and all of that but for now you get to have the fun of digging around in the pile manually."

Sora was going to say that he didn't exactly have a friend yet to give one of the bracelets to, but instead found himself asking how much they were.

"Two dollars," Sherbert said.

"Three for the deluxe kinds," Mae added quickly.

"Okay," Sora said. "Let me just put my food down at an empty table and then I'll decide."

Sora had to say that he was pretty impressed by the collection. There were rainbow-colored ones, some with buttons, others with bits of fuzz or fur, ones with unicorns, ones of nylon and others of leather or wool.

Finally he settled on two that he thought were appropriate: a navy blue one with dragons embroidered into it that fastened with velcro, and one in a gender-neutral shade of green with an acorn print and buttons.

"Thanks so much for purchasing," Sherbert said, handing the box over to Mae so that she could take Sora's money. "I think you made an excellent choice. If you aren't satisfied, return to us for a full refund!"

"Don't worry, I don't think that'll be necessary," Sora said with a laugh as he sat down to eat his sushi rolls.

"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Mae asked.

He briefly scanned the cafeteria for any signs of Pearl before answering. He didn't see her, so he gave Mae his permission. Mae and Sherbert went to the line to get their food, and he waited patiently for them to come back.

At that moment he saw Maka and Soul entering the cafeteria, accompanied by Tsubaki and Black Star. Tsubaki noticed him and waved. He waved back, and she left Black Star's side and approached him.

"Are you eating all alone?" she asked him with a friendly smile.

"No, I have two friends who are going to be coming over," he said. He suddenly felt self-conscious and shoved the friendship bracelets into the front pocket of his hoodie.

"Oh, that's nice," she said, and he couldn't tell if she was diasappointed or not.

"Hurry up Tsubaki or you're going to miss out!" Black Star called out in his loud voice.

"I'm sure there's plenty to go around!" Tsubaki called back. She turned back to Sora and smiled again. "At least he makes sure I'm well-fred."

Sora smiled, unable to keep himself from blushing. _Probably to make sure you maintain those lovely curves. _It was a thought he'd dare not voice.

At that moment Sherbert and Mae returned, plates brimming with food.

"Oh, so you know Tsuabaki!" Mae said, her face lighting up.

"Yeah, we've met."

Mae and Sherbert engaged Tsubaki in a friendly chat whilst Sora looked on, feeling a little like an outsider.

"Tsubaki!" Black Star called out again.

"Sorry, my partner's getting impatient," Tsubaki said with a smile. "It was nice talking to you, Mae, Sherbert." She gaved a little bow then turned and walked away.

"She's _so _cool," Sherbert said, starry-eyed.

"I know, right?" Mae replied with a smile as she sat down. "It's awesome that you already know her, Sora. How'd you two meet?"

"Er, I was asleep in an alleyway a few days ago and Tsubaki was on her way to school," he replied.

"Oh, and then she awoke you with a kiss?" Mae asked, a wicked gleam in her eye.

Sora managed to keep from blushing.

"Actually, Black Star was poking me with a stick, and then I woke up and saw them," Sora said. "Besides, I'm not _Sleeping Beauty_, okay?"

Mae and Sherbert laughed. Typical girls.

"So, what happened between Pearl and Maka?" Sora asked when they were well into their meals. "Do either of you know?"

Mae and Sherbert exchanged almost worried glances and seemed hesitant to respond. Finally, Mae spoke up.

"Well, Maka and Pearl actually used to be best friends," Mae said.

"Until Pearl tried to steal Soul," Sherbert piped in.

"That's what Maka had said," Sora mused. "That Pearl had tried to steal him. What did she mean?"

"Well, everyone knows that Pearl goes through weapons really, really quickly," Mae explained. "No one really knows exactly what happened, though everyone knows that Pearl started to want to use Soul as a weapon."

"Then _it_, happened," Sherbert said in hushed tones.

"It?"

"Pearl, and her weapon of the time, along with Maka and Soul were sent on a mission by Lord Death to retrieve some artifacts from some temple hidden in the mountains," Mae said. "Somehow, alongst the way, Maka, as wells as Pearl's weapon, Jeremiah, got immobolized by assailants. Pearl and Soul were forced to team together, to defend their Weapon and Meister."

"So, what happened?"

"Pearl and Soul easily defeated the combatants and the mission was completed. However," Mae said, pausing for emphasis. "things were never the same between Maka and Pearl after that. They grew more and more distant, with Maka finally accusing Pearl of being a selfish Meister who only cared about trying out various Weapons. Some people think that Maka was just being jealous, that she couldn't stand to see herself eclipsed by even a close friend, who was only trying to help her. Others say that after Pearl wielded Soul that first time, she'd become unusually attached to him and had started to act inappropriately."

Sora nodded, beginning to understand.

"So what do _you_ think?" he asked, taking a sip of his cucumber melon soda.

"I think-" she said slowly. "-that Pearl wants to have Soul as a partner again and would do almost anything to achieve it, apart from hurting Maka. So she's locked in indecision. And that's why she can't choose a partner."

"Maybe she's just in love with him," Sherbert said.

"That too," Mae agreed, taking a bite of her cheesy enchilada.

That was an interesting developement. _Pearl is in love with Soul. _Sora thought. A new thought occurred to him.

"So, my chances of getting Pearl to partner with me are -?"

Mae and Sherbert smiled at him, and he could see the sympathy in their eyes. He sighed. Nothing was going to go right for him, it seemed.

"Well, maybe you could get her to partner with you for just a little while, before she goes running off to somebody else again?" Sherbert suggested. "After all, she did team up with you in that fight with Black Star. If you two can find a sword for her that would be awesome!"

"Totally," Mae said, giving him a thumbs up. "Good luck!"

Sora felt like he was going to need a lot of it.


	10. Chapter 10

The day was a long one for Sora. It was definitely not boring, but it was uneventful. Sora hadn't seen Pearl since she'd walked away from Maka in the classroom. She didn't show up at the cafeteria for lunch. Mae claimed that she always skipped.

"Hey- new guy," a voice said behind him.

Sora turned at the sound, and saw a boy leaning against one of the large skeleton teeth that marked the entrance/exit to DWMA. He was dressed in a drab, dusty overcoat and his unruly, longish brown hair almost completely obscured his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be buddying up so much to Pearl."

Sora's eyes narrowed.

"Why? What's it to you?"

"Because she's already been spoken for," the young man replied without missing a beat.

"Already spoken for?" Sora asked, feeling slightly irritated. He wasn't really interested in her like that, in the first place, but he didn't feel like he was entitled to tell this punk that. "Who says?"

"I do," the young man replied, shaking his head so that he could get the hair out of his face. His eyes were a deep honey brown and might've once been kind, but were now a hard granite.

"And just who do you think you are, showing up out of nowhere and making a claim like that?" Sora asked. He crackled his knuckles methodically, then wrung out his hands. If this guy was going to make any funny moves he wanted to be ready for them.

"Don't get the wrong idea," the youth replied. "I don't want to fight you. If I did I wouldn't have wasted any time on words, I would've just punched your lights out." The young man made a fist momentarily, as if to show off, then released it.

"Jeremiah, stop bothering people."

Sora looked towards the direction of the voice. A pretty girl with lengthy, flowing brown hair walked out of the school, next to the pink-haired girl that Sora had sat with in class earlier. Behind them were many other students, who were exiting the school and heading to their respective apartments.

"Jacqueline, this isn't your problem," the teen, who was evidently named 'Jeremiah' replied.

"Sure it is," Jacqueline said with a good-natured smile. She then walked over and looped her arm with the brooding young man's. "You're my brother, so this is my problem."

She turned to Sora and said, apologetically, "I'm sorry about him. He can be a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes but not so much if you get to know him. You're Sora, right?"

Sora nodded.

"Yeah, I remember you, you were sitting next to Kim in class today," Jacqueline replied. "Kim said you took my seat."

"Oh, sorry," Sora replied quickly. _So the pink-haired girl's name is Kim._

"It's no big deal," Jacqueline said. "Kim and I spend almost every waking moment with eachother so it's nice to get a break now and then. I was in a meeting with Lord Death for most of the day, anyway."

"He claims her soul wavelengths are all screwed up and inconsistent, but honestly, I never notice when wielding her," Kim said, finally speaking up. "We even eachother out."

Jacqueline nodded fiercely.

"Well anyway, we better be going now," Kim said as she glanced at the sun in the sky. It would be twilight soon. "Kim and I are getting sushi at that new place down the street." She looked with some distaste at her partner's brother.

"Oh yeah, it's going to be awesome!" Jacqueline exclaimed. "I hear that they do _karaoke _over there. It's going to be _super _fun!" Then she turned to Sora and said. "Nice meeting you."

Sora nodded.

"You too."

With that Kim and Jacqueline started to walk away, Jacqueline still arm-in-arm with her sulky brother. He heard snatches of their convesation as they trailed away.

"Hopefully we won't have to babysit -?"

"Don't worry about it, Kim! We're dropping him off at home."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Like hell you don't..."

Sora sighed. He hoped that the social dynamics of this school weren't going to just totally wreck the experience for him. He wanted to at least try to take on a mission or something, even though he didn't have a Meister.

"Oh, you're out here."

Sora turned to the owner of the voice, and saw that it was Pearl. Her long bluish hair was held up in a ponytail, and she had a towel over her shoulders. Instead of her signature royal blue Victorian-style dress she wore gym pants and a cyan tank top. She was wearing a green backpack.

"Where've you been?" Sora asked.

Pearl undid the ponytail and gave her hair a shake, and it cascaded onto her shoulders once more. She had the flushed appearance of someone that had just been exerting themselves, but he almost thought she was even more beautiful in this more imperfect state.

"I've been working out," she said. "It's what I do everyday at lunchtime, or just whenever I'm feeling down or stressed."

"You even missed some of the classes, though," Sora said, knowing how much good grades meant to her.

"Weren't we just reviewing _soul resonance _and all that elementary basic stuff?" Pearl replied. "I could've- and probably would've- fallen asleep in such a totally unchallenging class like that."

_Of course. _He thought to himself, almost feeling abashed. She'd been here much longer than he had and was already at the top of her class- and _he_ had tried to lecture _her_. He was almost surprised that she'd taken it so well.

"I really like Marie as a person," Pearl said, as she did some cooldown stretches. "But she's got to stop with all the babying and coddling. I liked our former teacher, Doctor Stein a lot more. Sure, sometimes it got really weird with all of the dissecting, but he also taught us about the human body and pressure points and how to avoid certain types of attacks that went for the vital areas of the body. And now, rumor has it that he goes to the woods with a special group of students to teach them about how to do Meister to Meister resonance. I would've killed to be able to join, but you have to have a Weapon to join in."

"Ah," Sora said, in understanding. "Wouldn't one of your former weapons maybe wanted to help you?"

Pearl's expression became angry.

"You think I hadn't thought about that?" she snapped. "Every time I ask someone they come up with a reason why they won't be my Weapon anymore, or they've already moved on to another Meister." She shook her head in frustration. "It doesn't matter how good I am in class or how strong I am; I'm useless to the world and to this school if if I don't somehow get a Weapon. But some people are so petty..."

Sora thought back to Jeremiah, the guy who had said that Pearl was 'spoken' for. He also thought back to the fight he and Pearl had had against Black Star. He felt helpless. P.J. seemed desperate, but would she really go for having a shield instead of a more offensive weapon like a sword? He didn't know who- or what- this Jeremiah guy was, but there had to be some history between them.

"We did this thing once," he began hesitantly. "Maybe we can do it again."

Pearl looked up at him, her face confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, we did okay, you and I, right?" he finally blurted out. "I know I'm not the best Weapon ever..."

"Please, don't belittle yourself!" Pearl exclaimed with a chagrined smile and raised up hands. "It's true that I'm not used to using a shield, and you're not really what I'm looking for, but I appreciate that you're at least willing to help."

"So you're going to turn down the guy who might be the only guy who might be willing to partner up with you?" Sora said in mock disbelief. Pearl laughed, and then the conversation turned serious. "Well, I might not be the only guy..."

"Hm, what was that?" Pearl asked.

"Well there's this guy I met today," Sora hesitated, wondering if it was really appropriate to tell the story. "He was kind of a weird-looking dude, he wore a dirty overcoat and all of that. And he said you were 'spoken for.'"

"Really?" Pearl laughed again. "If I am than that's the first I heard of it. Who was he, anyway? Maybe I'll play along for a bit, it would be funny."

"Er, I think his name was...Jeremiah?"

Pearl's face went white.

"Jeremiah?" her voice was barely audible. "H-how do you know Jeremiah?"

Then it suddenly occurred to Sora why that name had sounded so familiar. Jeremiah was the name of Pearl's Weapon during that mountain temple mission where so much had changed.

"He has some nerve," Pearl said darkly. "Telling complete strangers that I'm 'spoken' for." Then, inexplicably, she shivered. "No, I can't partner with him, not ever again. There's too much dark history there."

"Well if he's bothering you-"

"No!" Pearl snapped in a voice that was part anger and part pleading. "Don't go anywhere near him. He's not even a student here anymore, so technically him being on the property was tresspassing. But why he'd come back now..." Pearl shook her head, suddenly seeming very weary.

"Well, if you won't be my Meister, at least let me walk you home," Sora said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I can't bungle on that at least. I was raised in the slums."

Pearl smiled, and some of the color returned to her face.

"Thanks for the offer, but I actually live on campus," she explained.

"The offer stands just the same."

Pearl smiled again, a little tentatively this time, but acquiesced.

"Then let's go," Sora said, returning her smile.


	11. Chapter 11

The next day, in between classes Sora found himself staring up at the bulletin board, which listed current assignments. Some of the assignments were available and some were unavailable; the unavailable ones listed the name of the Meister/Meisters that were going on them. Apparently Kim and Jacqueline were off chasing down artifacts in South America. _Lucky them._

"Hi. Whatcha doing?" Pearl asked as she suddenly appeared at Sora's side.

"Nothing really," Sora replied with a smile. "Just taking a look at the bulletin board here."

"That one looks cool," Pearl said, pointing towards the top left quadrant of the bulletin board. "Fight zombies in South Africa."

"Intermediate," Sora finished for her.

Pearl favored him with a mischievous, lop-sided grin. The two had become closer and closer friends since Sora had walked Pearl home after school that day, although, Pearl hadn't officially made Sora her weapon of choice. Neither of them had really seen much of Jeremiah since that day, and Sora thought never would be soon enough.

Anyway, he knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"The tougher the mission is, the more fun it is!"

"Ha, looks like you haven't changed at all."

Both Pearl and Sora turned to look at the owner of the voice. The voice was owned by a tall, slender young man with shiny blonde hair and too-gorgeous aquamarine eyes. He was wearing an outfit that was somewhere in between prep and punk.

"Oh, it's you, Hiro," Pearl said, sounding unsurprised.

"Isn't he the guy who everyone nicknamed the 'errand boy'?" Sora asked discreetly.

"Yep," Pearl replied a bit less discreetly.

Hiro cleared his throat noisily, apparently to communicate that he had heard their little side conversation but wasn't going to officially comment.

"Anyway- are you still choosing brutal missions to go on, Pearl?" Hiro asked. "You always come out okay, but people are still getting worried about you- and by 'people', I mean 'me', since half of this school seems to hate you."

Pearl crossed her arms and made a displeased noise.

"It isn't _half _the school," she said defensively.

"Well whoever hates you can shove it anyway," Sora said decisively. He and Hiro managed to nod in unison at that.

"I'm supposing that means that I can shove it, doesn't it Sora?"

Sora felt an ice cold chill. The person who'd just addressed him was none other than Maka, who was being trailed by Soul, Tsubaki, and Black Star. He'd been on thin ice with her ever since that day he'd chosen to sit with Kim instead of causing divisions with Pearl by sitting near Maka. They saw eachother in class everyday, but Sora sensed a strain from Maka even when she was being friendly, as if she had to war with herself to be civil with him. It hurt him because he'd really liked Maka and would've wanted to remain friends with her. But if it meant alienating Pearl...

"You know I didn't mean it that way," Sora said tentatively.

Maka sighed.

"Yeah, I know," she said in response. She seemed to avoid looking at Pearl.

"Hey errand boy," Black Star addressed Hiro.

Hiro jumped at the mention of his name.

"Move out of the way so that the real Meisters can have a look at the bulletin board."

"But I'm not even standing in front of it!" Hiro exclaimed, his mouth agape with astonishment.

"You're close enough," Black Star said and gave him a little shove backwards. "Zombies in South Africa? Ha! That's way too easy. Only intermediate! Isn't there anything on this list that's going to be any fun?"

"But Black Star, shouldn't you be taking things a little easier? You've been having those chest pains..."

"Bah!" Black Star exclaimed with indifference. "That's barely ever, and pain is a good teacher."

"Yeah, it's your body's way of teaching you when something is too much for it," Maka said, sounding slightly cross. "You really should listen to your partner sometimes, Black Star. It's a partner_ship_ not a do-it-yourself-ship.

"I like the do-it-yourself-ship!" Black Star exclaimed with a wide grin. "Or in other words, a do-it-_myself_-ship."

Sora glanced from Pearl to Maka. Neither was being totally hostile to the other at this moment, which was probably a good sign.

At that moment, Sherbert walked up to the group.

"Hi everyone," she said amicably. The others all returned her greeting in kind. She then turned specifically to Pearl and Sora, and said, "You two are wanted in Lord Death's Conference Room."

"Us?" Pearl asked in disbelief. Sherbert nodded vigorously.

"Yep, I'd just been in to see him and he told me to come and get you on my way out. Luckily, you two were easy to find!"

Pearl and Sora looked at eachother, and unspoken question hanging in the air above them. _What does he want? _

"Do you think we're in trouble?" Sora asked as they walked in the direction of the Death Room.

Pearl shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not," Pearl replied. "I know I haven't done anything wrong. Have you?"

"Well, there was that one time that I toilet-papered the girl's bathroom..."

Pearl stopped walking and raised an eyebrow in askance.

"That was at my old school- not here," Sora explained quickly.

"Ah."

Finally, Sora and Pearl made it up to the Death Room's tall black door. It had Lord Death's face mask painted on it in whites with four white diagnal stripes below it, two going to the left and two going to right. A simple knocker was in the middle. Sora picked it up and tentatively knocked on the door, twice. No one answered, but the door opened to them by itself.

They proceeded to walk down a long corridor of red wooden archways. Finally, they came to the Death Room itself. It was a round stone platform set in the middle of what appeared to be a sandy desert area. There were all sorts of spindly black crosses stuck into the desert ground all around. In the middle of the stone platform was a large oval mirror, accented with candlestick holders set on its top and sides as well as another engraving of Lord Death's face mask.

A tall, imposing figure garbed head to toe in black and wearing a skeletal but comicky white mask emerged from behind the mirror. He wore huge gloves on hands that he was now waving in a friendly manner.

_So this is Lord Death_. Sora thought, wondering if he ought to be intimidated. When the character spoke, however, it dissolved all his fears completely.

"Welcome, welcome!" Lord Death intoned in his trademark merry manner. "I imagine that you found your way okay?"

"Well, we're here, aren't we?" Sora said, hoping that Lord Death didn't take that as a smart aleck response.

"Ho-ho-ho, yes you are," Lord Death said. "Would you like some tea? Can I get you anything?"

"Um, no," Pearl said, smiling in a sort of abashed way. "We just want to know why you called us here."

"Ah, yes," Lord Death said, clearing his throat. He put his hands behind his back and then continued speaking. "Why do _you _think that you're here?"

Sora and Pearl looked at eachother, exchanging uneasy expressions. Neither of them was able to answer Lord Death's question.

"Ahh," he said. "So you to really have no idea why you're here?"

"No," Sora said as Pearl shook her head.

"Now, now, you mustn't forget why DWMA was founded," Lord Death lectured. "We're supposed to be preventing the world from the reemergence of _Kishin_, by destroying the kishin eggs before they can evolve." Lord Death gestured to Pearl. "You, Miss Pearl, haven't produced a Death Scythe yet, but you've done beautifully with the partners that you've had. You've always been able to get your Weapons to absorb at least some kishin eggs."

"Thank you, Lord Death," Pearl said with an appreciative nod.

"But you-" he gestured to Sora, and Sora found himself suddenly becoming uncomfortably hot. "-have absorbed no kishin eggs, neither by yourself nor under the direction of a Meister. You are commended by the fact that at least you've been trying to find one. At least, I assume that you have been?"

"Err, sort of," Sora said, adjusting his hat on his head out of nervous habit.

"That simply won't do," Lord Death continued with a little shake of his head. "But it seems that we may be able to take care of your problem whilst solving something for Miss Pearl as well."

"S-solving something for me?" Pearl asked tremulously.

"Why yes," Lord Death said pleasantly. "It seems that you've been without a weapon for two and a half months now. This has been tolerated for as long as it must be. As much as I hate to do this, you're going to have to be forced to team with a Weapon, just as we must find a Meister for your friend Sora here." His gaze wavered between both of them. "At least, you _are _friends is that not right?"

"Yes," Sora said just as Pearl said, "Of course!"

"Very good," Lord Death intoned cheerily. "Then I have a special lesson for you both, to get yourselves in practice. That's assuming you've both agreed to become a team for now, right?"

Sora and Pearl looked at eachother again, then nodded.

"Then I would like to introduce you to-" Lord Death said as he whirled around to face the mirror. "The Lord Death's First Official Obstacle Course!"

"Obstacle course?" Pearl and Sora asked in unison. They stepped close to the mirror to have a better look.

"Th-that's..." Pearl stammered.

"Crazy," Sora finished for her. "That's just crazy."

Lord Death seemed pleased by their reactions.

"That's explainable since I designed it myself, with the help of my son," Lord Death replied. "Incredibly brutal but the entire thing is perfectly symmetrical, as one might expect from anything Kid sets his hand to do. I'm glad that you like it!"

"Isn't there some other way that we could make it up to you for slacking off?" Pearl replied, her brow beaded with nervous sweat."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Lord Death replied, his voice almost sounding sympathetic. "You'll just have to learn to be more responsible next time."

"But what's the purpose of this thing?" Sora asked. "Is this some sort of punishment or are we actually acquiring skills from this?"

"Don't make me laugh- of _course _you're gaining skills from this!" Lord Death replied. "The obstacle course is specifically designed in a way that makes it impossible to complete without the combined skills of two or more persons, specifically a Meister and his or her Weapon or Weapons. And you'll need to use everything you've learned so far in class in it, too."

"Is it all right if I wield other Weapons besides Sora for this mission?" Pearl asked.

_Well that was an unexpected request. _Sora thought.

"If you can find anyone willing to brave the course with you, then, yes, you may," Lord Death replied in his sing-song voice.

Pearl breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh and I think there is something you should know," Lord Death said as he floated a little closer to them. "If you fail to complete this course, you might just die."

"You're kidding, right?" Sora said, readjusting his hat again.

"Nope!"

"How can you say that so casually?" Pearl demanded. "Couldn't you have designed this thing _not _to kill people for their failings?"

"Oh, but then you wouldn't learn nearly as much," Lord Death replied without skipping a beat. "Lessons like 'never give up' and 'never turn back' and 'always be resolute', yes?"

"So much for getting anyone to do this thing with us," Pearl muttered in disappointment.

"When do we have to start the course?" Sora asked. He knew there was no way they were getting out of this, so acceptance would definitely be the best way to go.

"I'll give you exactly five days to prepare, starting now," Lord Death said as he glanced down at an invisble watch on his wrist. "Oh and by the way, Kid will be officiating at the event. Lots of people will be coming to watch, since you'll be the first to do this. I already have my seat reserved!"

"How dirty," Pearl muttered to Sora. "He's making profit off of our suffering."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Sora said. "Now if we fail not only might we die, we'll also possibly lose face with the entire school."

Pearl nodded.

"We have to beat this thing- there's no alternative," she said determinedly.

Sora nodded in response, then turned back to Lord Death.

"I hope you're ready to see us beat that thing," Sora told him.

"I certainly hope you do your best," Lord Death replied. Then, he clasped his hands together and said, "All right then- see you two in five days! Have a nice afternoon!"

_Ha! As if. _Sora thought solemnly.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Hey it's me, guys. I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be including "The Lightning Spear" Harvar D. Eclair in this chapter of the story, but having never read the manga and having only seen the anime I'm not that familiar with his character. I did read up on him in the Soul Eater Wikia and that gave me a few insights into his character, though, so here's to him not being OOC! I'm doing my best.

"No offense, but I don't think I want Harvar going through that Death Course," Ox Ford stated as he peered at them through his thick eyeglasses/goggles. "At least not without me. We're a team, you know? What's the 'Lightning Spear' without the 'Lightning King'?"

It was just a day after the event had been officially announced and already eveyone had now taken to calling the perlious obstacle course that Pearl and Soul were going to undertake 'the Death Course'; it was hardly an encouraging title.

Meanwhile, the Lightning Spear himself, sat impassively, eyes obscured by his red-tinted visor.

"We didn't ask you, Ox," Pearl pointed out a bit irritably. "We asked Harvar. I don't see where he needs to ask your permission for anything."

Ox Ford adjusted his glasses/goggles but said nothing.

"What's in it for us?" Harvar asked suddenly.

"Erm, well-" Pearl said, looking uncomfortable.

"It's all right," Harvar said, rescuing her from having to come up with an answer. "I was only joking. I'll do it."

"Awesome!" Pearl said, raising her fist into the air in triumph. "With shield and spear I shall be victorious!"

"You just be careful," Ox Ford said. "Harvar isn't your ordinary Weapon. Beware with the way you pass your Soul Wavelengths into him or he might give you more than a little shock in return."

"Don't lecture me on how to soul resonate, Ox," Pearl replied with a smirk. ''It's kind of my speciality."

"Well, whatever," Harvar said, rising to his feet. They had all decided to meet in the classroom, and were alternatively sitting or standing near their desks. Sora was reclining in his, letting Pearl take care fo the negotiations. Harvar turned his gaze on him, and continued, "We're going to need to do some training to prepare for this. Let's go to the training grounds now."

"Right," Pearl said with a nod. "See you later, Ox!"

"Oh, I'm definitely coming with," Ox replied, smiling as he stood to his feet. "I really want to see how things go. I could learn something."

So the four of them headed to the outdoor training grounds.

"What do we know about the obstacle course?" Harvar asked as they were on their way.

"Well, we know it has spikes, mantraps, marsh pits, monkey bars-"

"Yes, we know all of _that," _ Harvar said. "But what about other types of traps, like parts of the course falling apart once you step out on to them or falling rocks or booby traps?"

"I couldn't tell if those were there but I wouldn't be surprised if they were," Pearl mused. "I guess we won't know until we're actually on the thing."

"Exactly," Harvar said. "But the least we can do is prepare for some of these variables in advance anyway. We'll need to work on your balanace, agility, and endurance..."

Two hours after that sentence, Sora and Pearl were left sitting on the ground, panting, trying to catch their breath.

"I...think that should be good enough for...today?" Sora asked between breaths. Pearl nodded vigrously next time.

"Are you kidding?" Harvar said with mild irritation in his voice. "You two wouldn't even be able to clear the first obstacle with results like these. Do everything again, from the top!"

"I can't," Pearl gasped.

"Let's quit," Sora suggested in what he hoped was a polite tone of voice.

Harvar looked at them, eyes invisible behind red visor, and said nothing for a minute. Finally, he sighed in resignation.

"All right, fine," He said. "Be back here tomorrow, same time, though. And Pearl-" he waited until he had her attention before making his statement. "-If you're going to be throwing me, you're going to need to do it right. Keep your back straight when you're making the toss and remember to lean both backwards and forwards into the throw. Use your whole body for momentum."

"You're just difficult to throw because you're a different kind of spear," Pearl replied.

"Well you could always go get one of the other far more generic spears and give up the advantage that is me," Harvar said a bit arrogantly. "If that's not what you want I suspect that you quit complaining. And Sora-" he paused until Sora looked at him. "You're too slow. Learn to pick up your feet. You'll be in Weapon form most of the time but that's no excuse for sluggishness. Off you go, then."

Sora stood and helped Pearl to her feet also. Harvar walked away without another word. Ox turned to give them a peculiar, indiscernible look before he walked off to join Harvar.

"He's a slave driver," Sora said once Ox and Harvar were out of earshot. "We can do this ourselves. I say we drop him."

"Are you kidding?" Pearl asked incredulously. "Sora, I need a spear, and he's the best that there is. I'm not giving up this opportunity."

She almost had to swallow her words the next day when Harvar brought two pieces of wood and two yoga balls to the practice. Their jobs were to put the pieces of wood onto the yoga balls, then climb on top and try to balance on the yoga ball like a surfer balanced on the water. The results were painful to watch and comedic in nature.

Pearl was stuck on the ascent portion of the test, struggling to alternatively climb, jump, or tackle her way on top of the wood on the yoga ball. Sora found the ascent easy, but every time he thought he had his balance he'd slip off. He was covered in bruises from his many "dismounts."

Finally, Pearl was able to mount the wooden piece and she stood perfectly balanced. She tested several positions to test her balance and she discovered that she could easily stay balanced.

"Ah, so it was just me getting on the darn thing that was the trouble!" she announced, very pleased with herself.

"With me it's more like staying on," Sora muttered as he nursed a hurt elbow.

"Good job, Pearl," Harvar said. He glanced down at his watch. "I think we're going to have to cut it short today, because Ox and I have some studying to do."

"Not me," Ox replied cleverly. "I had the presence of mind to complete my assignment _while _I was watching you three. I'm done."

"Hmph," was all Harvar said in response. "That's fine by me. Anyway, keep practicing, you two. We only have two days left. Expect things to get significantly more difficult from here."

"We're totally up for it!" Pearl replied cheerfully as Sora groaned in displeasure.

Before too long the final day arrived. Harvar had put Pearl and Sora through the ringer the day before. They practiced climbing ropes, jumping hurdles, and alternatively running, swimming, and crawling their way through a mock gauntlet that Ox and Harvar had specifically designed. It wasn't even close to the real Death Course, but after going through it no less than fifty times the two partners felt somewhat more prepared for what lay ahead.

"It seems like you two are physically ready for the Death Course, now," Harvar said. It was the first piece of encouragement he'd given them in what seemed like ages. "Now we have to deal with the internal matters. It's time for us to see if we can't figure out a three-way resonance link. We shouldn't need it but we need to be as thorough as possible."

"Isn't that what they're teaching in that special class?" Pearl asked with some disappointment. "I'm not sure I can do something like that."

"Well it's a lot easier I'm sure with a Meister and two Weapons than it is with a group of Meisters already linked to a Weapon each," Harvar explained. "I'm almost certain you can do it. Just stay calm. First, try to resonate with Sora, then after that, me."

"Are you ready, Sora?" Pearl asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'm ready if you are," Sora said. He also felt a sense of trepidation. This would be his first time matching soul wavelengths with someone. He wondered if it was painful or invasive in anyway. Hesitantly, he transformed into shield form.

Suddenly from somewhere deep inside the recesses of his mind he felt something calling out, reaching out towards him. It was gentle and soothing, but at the same time, resolute and firm. He recognized it as Pearl's soul wavelength. He felt his body go warm as it moved into him. Tentatively, he tried to reach and send the same feeling back to her. Their voices rose together in a cry of triumph as the resonance link was completed.

"Good job," Harvar said, appearing impressed. "Now it's your turn with me, Pearl." With that, he transformed into his lightning spear form. He was a golden spear with a lightning-shaped tip.

Pearl performed soul resonance with Harvar with slightly more difficulty than she did with Sora, but the link was successful.

"It's amazing," Pearl breathed. "My whole arm is tingling like I'm charged with static electricity!"

"Like I told you- _be careful_," Ox warned again. He sounded a bit chagrined that his prediction about Pearl getting a shock from linking with Harvar didn't exactly come true.

"It's okay, Ox," Harvar, who was still in weapon form, said. "She knows what she's doing."

"I think we're ready for this thing," said Sora.

"Me too," Pearl said, amazement still in her voice. "I think that we might really pull this off."

"Well, we'll see tomorrow," Harvar said. "It's only a day away..."

That it was.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I decided to just go ahead and upload this chapter that I've had in storage for a little while. i normally don't update unless I have two chapters to do but after all of the build-up I did towards the obstacle course then I feel like I should finally post at least a little of what happens in it. I'm sorry for the slow updating. I really wanted/want to finish this story, but we'll see what happens.

* * *

The day of reckoning finally arrived. Harvar, Sora, and Pearl walked up to the "START" ribbon that seperated them from the first of the obstacles of the course. There were stands on both sides of the obstacle course, and they were fast filling up with DWMA students who had paid to watch the event. Lord Death and his son hadn't arrived yet, but were to be seated in a special box in the left stands.

"Are you ready for this?" a voice said form behind them.

Harvar, Sora, and Pearl all turned around to face the speaker. It was none other than Lord Death's son, Death the Kid. He was a little taller than average height, with piercing golden eyes and immaculately cut hair and clothing. His hair was black with three distinctive white stripes coming over his bangs on the left side of it.

Kid was flanked on both sides by his Weapons, the sandy-haired and cowgirl-hat-wearing Thompson sisters, each pretty in their own distinctive ways. Patty was bright-eyed with a childish smile and an ample bosom. Elizabeth or "Liz", the elder Thompson sister, was tall with long flowing hair and curves that accentuated her slender figure.

"Lord Death said you three might die," Patty said, giggling deviously. "If you do I want to see it!"

"There's no need to be so morbid, Patty," Kid reprimanded her tonelessly.

"You can say that again," Liz said with a grimace.

"We're ready for this," Sora said determinedly. Harvar and Pearl nodded resolutely.

Kid nodded back.

"Then I should tell you a little bit about the course," he said quietly. "The first obstacle is the Pirahna Pond. You are to cross on small wooden platforms of various heights that are sticking out of the water. This is to test balance and agility. The next obstacle, the Miry Pit, can be traversed by climbing over or under a net that is supported by four poles at the corners of the pit. Your job is to climb up those poles and to the net where you can safely cross over."

Kid stopped to brush a bug off of his sleeve.

"Those obstacles are pretty much the easy part," he continued. "The most treacherous part is the Mutli-weapon Gauntlet," Kid smiled at that point. "I'm particular proud of my design on this one. There are thirty-two weapons in the gauntlet, of sixteen different kinds, so there are two weapons of each type. The number of weapons is divisible by eight, the most symmetrical number."

At that point Liz rolled her eyes, and Kid gave her a sideways glance before continuing. Patty clapped her hands and gave off a little squeal of glee.

"Anyway, your goal in that obstacle is simply to dodge all of the weapons, which will be attemtping to skewer or sever you from all directions."

"Exciting," Sora remarked with as much sarcasm as he could muster. He turned to look at Pearl and noted that her forehead was beaded with sweat, but her eyes were determined.

"I don't care how many numbers that thing is divisible by," she said. "You probably made a mistake by going with an even one, anyway, so that just evens the odds for us. No pun intended, of course."

Kid made a sound inside this throat that could be interpreted as a laugh.

"The rest of the obstacle course, I won't bother to explain, since it really doesn't match up to the glory of the Multi-weapon Gauntlet," Kid said, sounding mildly disappointed with himself. "You should be able to figure it out easily enough."

"There better not be any surprises," warned Sora.

"Don't worry," Kid said with a smirk. "There shouldn't be any 'surprises.' Everything will likely go exactly as expected."

"Kid, your left shoe looks slightly bigger than your right one," said Harvar, who had up until this point been silent.

"What?" Kid said, turning a shade whiter than he already was. "Liz, give me a tape measurer!"

Liz sighed but brought the resquested item out of her pocket so that the obsessive compulsive Kid could check his shoe sizes.

"You actually go around with a tape measurer in your pocket?" asked Pearl in surprised tones.

Liz nodded.

"These days with the way he's been acting, I haven't got a choice," she muttered.

"Seems to be a perfect match," Kid mused, handing the tape measurer back to Liz. "It seems you were mistaken."

"Seems that I was," Harvar said. It was Harvar's turn to smirk now, but Kid didn't seem to notice. Instead of making a witty rertort he glanced down at his watch.

"My father will be here shortly, so I'm going to go wait for him in our box," Kid announced. "Liz? Patty?"

"Bye!" Patty sang out with a generous smile and a wave. "See 'ya wouldn't wanna be 'ya!"

"Good luck," Liz said as she took another look at the imposing obstacle course. "You're going to really need it."

Pearl and Sora nodded.

Just after Kid and the Thompson sisters got seated in their box, Lord Death arrived, to much cheers and adulation.

"I trust you are prepared for this, yes?" Lord Death asked in his trademark sing-song voice.

"Definitely," Sora said, while Pearl and Harvar nodded.

"All right, then let the games begin!" Lord Death said, clasping his hands together. He then turned and began to float over to his special box in the stands.

Once Lord Death was situated, Kid stood up and spoke into a microphone that he held in his left hand.

"My father and I would like to welcome you all to Death City's First Official Obstacle Course," he announced. "The contestants are at this moment standing in front of the 'start' ribbon, prepared to be the first to try and tackle this course. Their names are Sora Fujioka, Harvar D. Eclair, and Pearl Jameson."

The crowd gave a roaring applause, so Kid waited for it to die down before he continued.

"So," he said, his eyes steady on the three contestants. "Without furthur delay, I will begin the count off to the start. One...two..._go!_"

Sora, Pearl, and Harvar charged ahead and the "start" ribbon fell at their feet. Pearl, who was the quickest and most agile, effortlessly traversed the Pirahna pond, making perfectly spaced jumps between the platforms. She waited at the top step for Sora and Harvar.

Harvar went next, and whilst his execution wasn't as perfectly timed as Pearl's he got the job done.

Unfortunately for Sora, he happened to see one of the pirahna's jump up out of the water in an attempt to attach itself to Harvar's ankle. The thing was massive and mutated. Harvar moved his foot out of the way without a second thought and seemed fairly undisturbed. Sora on the other hand, had been _horrified. _

Pearl and Harvar beckoned for him to join them at the top platforms, and so Sora took in a deep breath and made the first jump. So far, so good. He jumped from one platform to the other.

On the last platform, however, he was a little short in his leap. His feet slipped out from under him and he landed stomach first on the platform. The breath was knocked out of him. He heard Pearl yelling his name at the same time that Kid narrated, "It looks like we have a man down!" The crowd gasped dramatically.

Sora struggled to stand, impeded by the fact that he kept looking behnd him to make sure that no pirahna were jumping out of the water to nip at his heels.

"Harvar, weapon form!" Pearl shouted. Harvar immediate acquiesed, going straight into his lightning spear form. Pearl caught the spear, turned it over and extended it handle first towards Sora

"Here, grab on!"

Sora obeyed the command without hesitation. He grabbed the spear and was able to pull himself to his feet. The crowd burst into applause.

The next obstacle, The Miry Pit stood before them. It wasn't close enough to where they could jump across onto the netting on top without climbing partway up the poles first.

They planned their stategy.

"Sora could turn into shield form and I could toss him over first," Pearl suggested. "Then, you could remain in weapon form Harvar and I could throw you into one of the poles, then jump and grab unto you. Sora could help me pull myself up. And that would be that."

"Sounds like a plan," Sora announced.

"It's fine by me," Harvar added.

Sora transformed into shield form. Pearl picked him up and tossed him as expertly as a professional disc thrower might. He went sailing over and landed easily on the netting.

Everything was going just as they'd planned it when Sora became to notice something wrong. It was right after Pearl had thrown Harvar into the pole and was preparing to make her jump. The ropes of the netting that Sora was sitting in had began to writhe and twist as if they'd taken on a life of their own. Sora found his eyes moving towards the edge of the pole where the rope was tied.

"Wait, Pearl, don't!" Sora said as he was suddenly seized with panic.

But it was too late. Pearl had already made the jump and was lifting herself up unto the ropes, just as they were unraveling.

Harvar, hearing the warning, quickly came out of weapon form just as Pearl was sinking through the unraveling ropes. He balanced precariously on the pole and reached down and grabbed her wrist. She gasped in surprise.

Sora in the mean time, struggled to hold unto the netting. With one corner of the top unraveled, he was nearly rolled out like a lazy child out of bed. Luckily though he managed to keep his hold.

A mixed murmer moved through the crowd watching in the stands.

"Now what?" Pearl asked, now hanging onto Harvar's arm for dear life.

"We can still lower ourselves down," Sora said, trying to sound as calm as he possibly could. "How do you fancy trying some acrobatic moves, Pearl?"

P.J. sighed.

"Not too much-"

Pearl's comment was cut off when the poles and the netting shuddered uncertainly. Harvar nearly fell off of the pole he was standing on, and Sora gripped tightly to the netting, holding his breath. Pearl squeezed her eyes shut, and cursed.

"You guys better hurry up and figure something out!" she exclaimed.

"Harvar, think that you can toss her this way?" Sora asked.

"Think you can catch her?" was the reply.

Sora nodded, and Harvar started to swing.

"One...two...go!" and Harvar flung a screaming Pearl into the air.

Sora extended his hand and managed to catch her by her ankle. Inconvenient, but effective. The crowd burst into applause.

"You're...heavy," he huffed.

"Well thanks, Captain Obvious," Pearl said testily. She grabbed unto the bottom of the netting, and said, "You can let go now."

Sora obeyed, and Pearl landed easily a little below him. Harvar in the mean time had begun to climb down his pole. Pearl and Sora moved steadily along the netting until they reached the pole of their choice and began to climb down as well.

"Well it looks like our contestants have managed to traverse both our obstacles, even though there were a few minor 'difficulties'," Kid narrarted.

Sora ground his teeth. Kid seemed to sound a little too pleased with himself when he said the word "difficulties".

"Next is the specially-designed Multi-Weaponed-Gauntlet," Kid said, his voice rising in crescendo. "Mistakes here could prove to be very costly. It looks like the team is taking some time to deliberate..."

They were. The Mutli-Weaponed Gauntlet was exactly as Kid had described. There were falling halberds, stabbing pikes, swinging maces, and those seemed as if they would be the least of their worries. All of this they had to dodge and deflect while constantly staying in motion.

Sora then felt bittersweet about being a shield. He felt happy that he could help to protect Harvar and Pearl, but he wondered how much of a beating from those weapons he could take.

He'd just have to run the gauntlet and find out.


End file.
